Free agent defenseman Travis Hamonic has played 15 NHL seasons, including the last three years in Ottawa.
Free agent defenseman Travis Hamonic has played 15 NHL seasons, including the last three years in Ottawa.
The Detroit Red Wings know exactly what they’re getting with 15-year NHL veteran Travis Hamonic.
Signed as a free agent to a one-year, $1 million dollar deal on Aug. 15, 2025, Hamonic met the media on a Zoom conference call on Tuesday afternoon and left no doubt about his strengths as a defensive defenseman.
The 35-year-old Hamonic was among the top five players on the playoff-bound Ottawa Senators with 92 blocked shots and second among Ottawa defenseman with 73 hits, in only 59 games.
By comparison, the Wings had only three players with more blocked shots than Hamonic (Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson and Ben Chiarot) and the only Detroit players with more hits were Seider, Edvinsson, Chiarot, Marco Kasper and Michael Rasmussen, all of whom played in more than 77 games.
“I want to be a solid, steady influence, to bring some physicality on the back end, to be solid on the penalty kill, blocking shots, doing some of those not-so-pretty jobs, some of the jobs that hurt,” said the 6-foot, 195-pound Hamonic, a former member of the New York Islanders, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and Senators.
“Sometimes, you’ve got to block a shot or take a hit to make a play, or just make the solid, if not flashy play in that particular moment, just the smart play that will benefit the team. I know what’s expected of me and I’m ready to put my best foot forward, to give everything to the team and organization.”
Hamonic was a third-pair defenseman last year, averaging 17:04 of ice time for the Senators (42-30-6), who ended an eight-year playoff drought when the Red Wings lost, 4-1, to the Montreal Canadiens on April 8, 2024.
He joins a Red Wings’ franchise which hasn’t made the playoffs in nine years, the longest stretch without playoff hockey with Detroit celebrating its centennial season this year.
“In the last year or so, the young players (in Ottawa) took another step in their careers, their development and responsibilities on the ice and they kind of drove the team forward last year,” Hamonic said. “I think there are a lot of similarities between the two teams. The fan base in Ottawa was very eager to make the playoffs and they had been out a while. As we came down the stretch, they had a huge impact on the team.
“For us in Detroit, we obviously want to get off to a good start, as does every other team in the league, and then just keep building throughout the season. When you just keep that singular focus, building week-by-week, or game-by-game, from Game 1 to Game 82, the bigger picture will take care of itself. It seems this group is really ready for that challenge and opportunity and the fan base is hungry for the playoffs as well.”
Hamonic, a second-round draft pick by the Islanders in 2008 and a Memorial Cup finalist with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League in 2010, will reunite with former Senators defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker, when they attend the opening of training camp in Traverse City on Sept. 18.
Docker, 25, signed a one-year, $875,000 contract with the Red Wings on July 1, 2025. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound blueliner split the season with Ottawa and the Buffalo Sabres, picking up eight points in 50 games.
“JBD is first and foremost a great teammate and player,” Hamonic said. “He’s got some sneaky skill, plays hard. He’s not the biggest guy but he’s competitive, he moves well and he’s someone who can make solid plays. When he’s feeling confident, leading the rush and making plays, he’s a good player. He had that injury last season and I think it was hard to get going. I think the fans in Detroit are going to see a young player with a bright future.”
In 900 career NHL games, Hamonic has scored 53 goals with 189 assists, while adding a goal and three assists in 22 career playoff games. After a team-worst, minus-16 in the regular season last year, he didn’t play in the first-round playoff loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games.
The Senators went with a defensive corps of Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, ex-Red Wing Nick Jensen, Artem Zub, Tyler Kleven and Finnish rookie Nikolas Mantipalo. They also added defenseman Jordan Spence at the 2025 NHL draft from the Los Angeles Kings for two draft picks.
“I feel very confident where my game is at,” Hamonic said. “The last couple of seasons in Ottawa, my roles have kind of been a little bit of everything. I thought I had a good season and played well and this upcoming season I’m just kind of ready to do whatever is asked of me, be a good player, a good teammate, and push for playing time.
“For us, as an opposing player, it was always a hard game against Detroit, the skill, the speed up front, you’ve got some really young-skilled defenseman on the backend, it made it a very desirable place for me as a player. Obviously, from everyone I’ve spoken to in Detroit and the surrounding area, it’s great for families and great to be away from the rink. Obviously, it was a no-brainer for me and my family. We’re quite excited.”
mfalkner@detroitnews.com
@falkner
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